Frequently asked questions

Contract & Payment

To register at DriveNow, you need to be at least 23 years old and must have been in possession of a full valid driving license for at least two years if aged 23-27, or one year if aged 28 or over. You also need to have a valid credit or debit card to use as a means of payment.

Two days after your rental, we will send you an email with the corresponding invoice, which can be used for tax purposes. The amount due will be debited from your credit/debit card. You can see a summary of the invoices corresponding to your recent journeys in the DriveNow app menu under 'Your trips' or in the customer login area on the DriveNow website, under 'Invoices'.

We accept payment by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club) or debit card. Please note we do not accept prepaid cards or Electron cards.

You start paying for your journey when your rental begins, i.e. when you have successfully entered your PIN inside the car. If you have rented a car for immediate use (without pre-reserving via the app), your rental begins when you press "Start rental" on the in-car display.

Yes, you can use our services in most DriveNow cities across Europe. Before you use DriveNow abroad, however, you need to enter a valid credit card number as a method of payment. The first time you use a DriveNow car in a different country, you need to accept the DriveNow terms and conditions applicable in that particular country. Local rates apply.

Special conditions apply for DriveNow in Copenhagen: Before using a car for the first time in Copenhagen, you need to upload images of your driving licence via the DriveNow app so that these can be verified. You can find further information on the 'How it works' page.

Yes, we block a certain sum on your credit card for security reasons. This is a refundable deposit and is standard practice among car rental firms, hotels, etc. You will only be able to open a DriveNow car, for example, if we have been able to block this sum as security. If, despite the availability of sufficient funds, your credit card was refused by our system, please contact your bank or credit card firm.

Once your rental has ended we notify your bank to refund/release the amount. It may take up to 5 working days for the funds to appear in your account.

A contract may only be cancelled in writing by email, at least six weeks before the end of any one quarter. Before you cancel your contract, please bear in mind that it doesn't cost you anything to remain a customer. You can still stay as a customer, even if you don't plan to use DriveNow for a while. You don't pay anything if you don't use DriveNow.

Once registered you may be asked to take a photo of a few documents using the DriveNow app so we can verify your details. As soon as we have verified your uploaded documents we will activate your account and post your customer card out to you. We aim to get your account verified and your customer card out to you within 24 hours of registering.

Insurance & Damages

The regular DriveNow rate includes third-party insurance, as well as comprehensive cover, including theft. There is a £750 excess for any liable damage. You can reduce the excess to £350 for just £1 per trip with our Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). If you reserve a car through the app, you can choose to reduce your excess on the screen when pre-planning your journey. For spontaneous bookings you can select the CDW in car before the start of your rental.

All DriveNow cars are covered by third-party insurance, as well as comprehensive cover, including theft. The standard excess for any damage is £750. You can reduce this to £350 for just £1 per rental with our Collision Damage Waiver. DriveNow does not offer any other option for further reducing the excess. In line with section 9.3 and 9.6 of the DriveNow Terms and Conditions, the excess cover does not apply in the event of damage caused by grossly negligent driving. According to section 9.5 of the DriveNow Terms and Conditions, the customer is responsible for covering the entire costs of any traffic violations he/she commits.

You can view any existing damage on the car via the app, or on the in-car screen if you have rented a car for immediate use. If the damage has already been reported, you don't need to do anything. If you notice any new damage, please contact customer services and inform them of the damage. You can contact them directly through the DriveNow app.

In the event of a road accident, the top priority is to make sure that all people involved are okay and that the scene of the accident is safe. You should also inform customer services as soon as possible, either by using the app or the "Call customer services" button on the DriveNow screen. Every road accident, including minor damages, must be recorded by the police. NEVER issue a confession statement as such a statement could render the collision damage waiver null and void. In the event of an accident, you are required to make note of the name of the driver and owner of the other car, the number plate and the police record number. You need to send us a written report of the accident as soon as possible. If the car has broken down, please contact our customer services immediately.

Using DriveNow

You can reserve your chosen DriveNow car for free for 15 minutes prior to your rental. Once these 15 minutes have expired, you are able to reserve the car (for a fee) for up to 8 hours.

You can reserve a DriveNow car for a maximum of 8 hours. A charge applies for extended reservations. To extend a reservation, simply click on the remaining reservation time in the app and select "Extend". Like the 15-minute reservation, the extended reservation can be cancelled at any time. The costs incurred up until this time will be invoiced to you via your private or business account.

If this is the case, please contact our customer services. We will explain how you can reach your car, or book another car for you at no extra charge.

A 'Trip Duration' timer on the main app screen will show you how many minutes you've used during your rental (when using the drive-per-minute option).

If you've booked an hourly or daily package, the timer will show the remaining time of your rental. If you go over time on a package, the time will display how long for also.

No, when you want to use a DriveNow car, you must use your own account. You are, therefore, not allowed to open the car using somebody else's customer card, because every card is linked to a specific DriveNow account. Any person who is not a DriveNow customer and who drives a DriveNow car without being authorised to do so can be held liable for theft.

DriveNow operates without keys. In other words, you don't need a car key to open the door. If you have reserved a DriveNow car, you can unlock it simply with the app or your DriveNow customer card. If you rent a car spontaneously, you can only unlock it with your customer card - simply hold the card up to the reader in the windscreen. To lock the car again, you can either use the app or your customer card.

If you've pre-reserved a DriveNow car, all you need to do when you get in the car is enter your PIN using the iDrive controller dial in the central console. Once you've entered your PIN, your rental has begun and you can switch the car on using the start/stop button.

You cannot begin a rental without your PIN. If you have forgotten your PIN, please contact our customer services. If we are able to confirm your identity over the phone, we will send you your PIN by SMS.

To contact customer services during your journey in a DriveNow car, simply press the "Call customer services" button in the DriveNow menu on the screen. You can also contact customer services via the DriveNow app

Select "Multimedia" or "Telephone" from the menu on the DriveNow screen and click on the "Bluetooth" option. Confirm that you want to "Add a new device", activate bluetooth on your smartphone and link your mobile to the car. Your phone will be connected.

You don’t need to fill up your DriveNow car as our service team takes care of this. However, if the fuel level drops below 25% during or at the end of your journey, we recommend that you fill up the car at one of our partner petrol stations. You can find these in the app using the Search function or in the navigation system under 'Special points of interest'. You don't need to pay anything to refuel – simply use the fuel card kept in the central armrest. After switching off the engine, select 'Refuel' on the in-car screen. The PIN number required for the fuel card will be displayed. You'll need to enter this PIN and the current mileage when you're at the till. If you need the refuelling instructions during your rental, tap 'Refuel' in the app to view these (including the fuel card PIN!). If the fuel level at the start of your rental was below 25%, and you return the car with over 90% in the tank, we will credit your account with 20 bonus minutes.

As per our terms and conditions, when you end your rental, the car needs to have no less than 15 miles remaining (for all our petrol and electric models) please. This is so the next driver doesn't get caught out!

All the cars in the DriveNow London fleet are automatic as is the majority of our fleet in other DriveNow cities. If your driving licence only allows you to drive automatic, you can only drive our automatic cars. You can find automatic cars by using the car filter in the DriveNow app.

All our BMW 1 Series and MINI 5 door models contain booster seats for children. These are kept in the boot. If you notice that a booster seat is missing from a car, please inform customer services. Please feel free to use your own child seats in these cars.

As a general rule, yes. However, you are responsible for returning the car in a clean condition. If the car is very dirty inside, we reserve the right to invoice you for the necessary cleaning (see price list).

No, DriveNow has no fixed pick-up or drop-off points. You can leave the car in virtually any on-street public parking bays within the business area – regardless of where you started out. Check out our 'How it works' page for more information on our parking guidelines.

When you want to end your journey, simply switch off the engine and lock the car using the DriveNow app or customer card (by holding your card against the reader on the windscreen). You don't need to select anything in car first. Wait for the reader light to turn green to confirm the rental has been successfully ended. If you want to take a short break during your journey, switch off the engine, get out of the car and select 'Park & Keep' in the app.

You can end your rental in virtually any on-street public parking bay within the DriveNow business area (you can view the business area in the DriveNow app) - this includes pay and display bays, residents' only bays and any mixed use parking bays. Exceptions include parking bays with specific regulations, such as disabled spaces, no-parking zones, taxi parking spaces or designated car club bays. Our full parking guidelines can be found on the 'How it works' page.

There are some locations where, although inside the business area, we don't have permission to park there. Please check the DriveNow app for any parking restrictions and move to a different parking space if necessary.

Also certain external influences (e.g. solar flare) can occasionally interfere with the global positioning of your vehicle. If this is the case, please contact customer services via the app or by pressing the "Call customer services" button in the car. We will resolve the issue and end the rental on your behalf.

Unfortunately, we need a GSM connection to transmit information. In other words, the normal radio network is not always sufficient. Your mobile may, therefore, be showing full reception, even when there is no GSM connection. Drive on a little further, park the car and try again. If the problem persists, please contact customer services via the app or by pressing the "Call customer services" button in the car. We will resolve the issue and end the rental on your behalf.

No, driving into other countries is strictly forbidden.

Packages & Bonus Minutes

The hourly and daily packages can be booked for current reservations in the app when pre-planning your journey, or before you start your rental in the car if you've rented a vehicle spontaneously. Savings Packages can be purchased in the app or the customer area on the DriveNow website. All packages can be booked for leisure and business journeys, and can be booked for any DriveNow car. Some hourly and daily packages cannot be used in the BMW i3.

Parking minutes are not included in Savings Packages. Parking minutes will be invoiced separately.

Hourly Packages include both driving and parking minutes.

The 'Trip Duration' timer on the main app screen will display the countdown of your hourly or daily package during your rental. If you go overtime on a package, the timer will show how long for.

A 30-day Savings Package can be cancelled in the app or on the DriveNow website at any time before the end of the 30 days. If it is not cancelled, the package is automatically renewed for another 30 days.

When you have used up all the minutes in your Savings Package, you will receive an automated message via email. Once the Savings Packages minutes have been used up, you will use up any available bonus minutes. Following this, the standard price per minute will apply until the minutes of the next Savings Package are available, up to 30 days after the start of the previous package. If the minutes in a Savings Package are not used up within the 30-day period, they expire.

It is not possible to change the type of Savings Package you are using during the 30-day period for which the Savings Package is valid. You cannot use more than one Savings Package at any one time. Another Savings Package, however, can be booked at any time. When the current Savings Package has expired (at the end of the 30-day period), the new Savings Package will be activated.

Once you have used up all the hours included in your Hourly Package, you will be charged the standard per minute rate of the vehicle. Once you have used up your mileage allowance, you will be charged an additional fee of 29p per mile for each additional mile. Our current rates are available on the DriveNow website under 'Pricing & Packages'.

No, you can only earn and use packages and bonus minutes in your own DriveNow country, i.e. the country in which you registered. For example, as a DriveNow UK customer, you can only use your packages and bonus minutes in the UK and not in any other DriveNow country.

The DriveNow packages and bonus minutes are used up in the following order: minutes with the closest expiry date (e.g. Savings Packages and bonus minutes), purchased minutes with no expiry date, and bonus minutes with no expiry date.

Driving an electric car

You don't usually need to worry about charging the BMW i3 as we look after this for you. If the charge of your BMW i3 is 25% or below though, park the car in a Source London charging point in the business area, plug the car in, and we'll give you 20 bonus minutes to say thanks. Find out exactly how to charge the BMW i3 here.

You don't need to charge your BMW i3 we take care of this for you.

However, in the event that your BMW i3 runs out of power outside the business area, you will be invoiced for the call-out of our service team and the return transport of the car, therefore please take note of the range left in the car when reserving a car or starting your rental.

Using DriveNow for Business

DriveNow offers a range of solutions for corporate customers of all sizes. Simply fill out the form on our 'For businesses' page if you'd like to find out more. A member of our team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

The DriveNow registration process allows you to enter a corporate invoicing address for your business journeys. You can also enter an address after registration by logging in to the customer login area on the DriveNow website. This is where you can enter the means of payment that should be used for your business journeys, as well as a corporate email address.

Reserve a car using the DriveNow app and then tell us if you want the invoice charged to your business account using 'Plan Trip.' For spontaneous rentals, you can select the type of journey on the screen once you're inside the car. The invoice for your journey will be issued using the business invoicing address provided and sent to the corresponding email address.

If DriveNow has an agreement in place with your company, you can easily link your private account to the corporate account. Please contact the person responsible for DriveNow in your company for further information.

Miscellaneous

Please contact customer services. We will be pleased to help you find lost items. However, we do not accept any liability for items that are left behind in a car.

The DriveNow cars are cleaned and inspected regularly by our service team. However, if you do find items in the car that don't belong to you, please contact customer services. We'll try to find the owner and contact him/her so that they can retrieve their lost property.

If this is the case, please contact customer services. If you have lost your customer card, we will immediately block the card and issue you with a new one. A fee applies for issuing a new customer card to replace a lost or damaged card (see price list).

You are liable for any traffic offences, e.g. speeding, when you are behind the wheel of a DriveNow car. In the event of traffic offences, we are obliged to pass your personal data on to the relevant authorities, who will contact you directly. To cover the administrative costs of your traffic violation, we reserve the right to invoice you with the corresponding service charge (see price list).

No, if you use the Dartford Crossing during your DriveNow rental, you will need to arrange the Dart Charge payment yourself. You can make the payment here. If you do not pay the fee by midnight the day after you cross, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice which can start at £35 + the crossing fee.

No. Out of respect for other customers, smoking in DriveNow cars is forbidden. If someone informs us that you were smoking during your DriveNow rental, we reserve the right to invoice you for the necessary cleaning (see price list).

Your personal data is used in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data is only passed on to third parties when this is necessary to enable DriveNow to fulfil your contract or your rental agreement, or when you have explicitly agreed for your data to be transmitted for a specific reason. You can revoke your permission at any time. You can find further details in our Terms and Conditions and in our Privacy Policy.

Please contact us at tickets.uk@drive-now.com with any queries about parking tickets.

Alexa Skill

All DriveNow members who own an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot can activate the DriveNow Skill in the Amazon Skill Store or in the Alexa App. To activate the DriveNow Skill, you will be asked to enter your DriveNow account information, email address and password.

With the DriveNow Skill, customers can comfortably book a DriveNow car at home with voice command. Alexa provides information about the three closest cars near your home address. The preferred vehicle can then be reserved by voice command. The reservation may also be canceled again via voice command. In addition, Alexa provides information about vehicle details, such as the vehicle model and charging/fuel level.

Find your DriveNow car
- "Alexa, open DriveNow"
- "Alexa, ask DriveNow to find the closest car near me"
- "Alexa, open DriveNow and give me more details about the next car"

Stratford International Car Park

Yes you can. There are 3 parking bays on Level 3 at Stratford International Car Park, where you can drop off and pick up a car from. You don’t need to pay for parking, and can easily drive a car in and out. There is easy access to both Westfield Stratford City and Stratford International Station.

The GPS in the car will direct you to the car park on International Way. Drive in, no ticket required. Follow signs for Level 3 and park in one of the 3 signposted DriveNow parking bays. Park the car and end your rental.

Reserve a car using the DriveNow app – free for the first 15 minutes. Follow the signs to Level 3 using the stairs or lift, the DriveNow parking bays will be directly across from you as you enter the car park on Level 3. Start the booking and follow the exit signs, there is no ticket or parking payment required. End rental in DriveNow business area.

Occasionally all 3 bays will be occupied by DriveNow vehicles at Stratford International Car Park. If this happens, try to park your vehicle as close to the bays as possible and end your rental as usual - you still won't need to pay for parking. Another member is sure to come along shortly and take a car, or else our fleet team will do so.
Please call our customer service team if any of the DriveNow bays are occupied by vehicles not from DriveNow.

No, DriveNow vehicles can only be parked on Level 3 in the Stratford International Car Park, on International Way. Stratford Westfield car parks are labelled A, B and C and you will unfortunately not be able to park a DriveNow there for free or end your rental.

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